Union City passes revised pay-to-pay ordinance; city now qualifies for $12 million in state aid

UNION CITY An updated pay-to-play ordinance was unanimously approved by commissioners last week, paving the way for the city to receive $12 million in transitional aid from the state, city officials said.

The Department of Community Affairs withheld the aid last month, telling city officials their old pay-to-play law had too many loopholes.

The new ordinance, which takes effect April 24, limits the amount vendors seeking city contracts can donate to the campaigns of municipal candidates and local political committees.

The law caps contributions to a mayoral or governing body candidate at $300 per calendar year; to joint committees of municipal candidates at $500 per calendar year; and to Hudson County political committees at $500 per year.

The donations can total no more than $2,500 in a calendar year, according to the law.

In an attempt to comply with DCA requirements earlier this year, city officials adopted an ordinance that did not address campaign contributions to Hudson County political committees.

“We have no jurisdiction over the county, only the municipality,” Mayor Brian Stack said at the time.

A DCA official gave the city’s new pay-to-play ordinance a thumbs up.

“Union City’s amended pay-to-play ordinance is the same as the model ordinance that all other Transitional Aid municipalities have adopted and satisfies the requirements of the Transitional Aid Memorandum of Understanding,” said DCA spokeswoman Lisa Ryan.